Tue, Oct 18, 1955
The regular variety format is replaced this week by an original comedy written by Gore Vidal. It tells the story of a shady bookie and his wife who are forced from Chicago by Cement Jackson. They hit the road, change their names, and settle in a Southwestern state. Eventually, Berle gets himself elected governor and is succeeded in office by his wife. All is well until Jackson tracks the two down and opens up an office next to the governor's mansion
Tue, Nov 8, 1955
Milton's guests in this color telecast include Kay Thompson, singer Gogi Grant, and The Will Mastin Trio (starring Sammy Davis, Jr.). With Mary Beth Hughes and Casey Adams. Berle plays a dense janitor who swallows a miniature bomb devised by scientists. Grant performs "Suddenly There's a Valley". Milton and Kay do a take-off on the recent Noel Coward/Mary Martin TV special Together with Music. Davis performs "That Old Black Magic" and joins Miltie for the finale where they impersonate great show biz teams. Jerry Lewis makes a cameo to pitch for his MD fund
Tue, Nov 29, 1955
Comedian Jan Murray fills in for Berle, who fell ill during rehearsals. Guests include Gale Storm, accordionist Dick Contino, Vic Damone, and Ben Blue. Jan's monologues include jokes about his move to the suburbs. Gale sings "I Hear You Knockin'" and Vic does "Autumn Leaves." Blue does a pantomime as a man in a park making friends with a young woman. Shown is a black-and-white dramatic sketch from the 9/29/1953 episode of "The Buick-Berle Show" featuring Frank Sinatra and Tallulah Bankhead.
Top-rated
Tue, Apr 3, 1956
Broadcast live in color from USS Hancock stationed at San Diego, CA. Milton's guests include Elvis Presley, Esther Williams, Buddy Rich, regular Arnold Stang, and the Harry James Orchestra. Following Berle's monologue, Esther Williams joins him and they sing "Memories Are Made of This" with new lyrics about sailors. Elvis and his band perform "Heartbreak Hotel" and "Blue Suede Shoes." Presley introduces his "twin brother Melvin," a hick dufus played by Berle. The two launch into a reprise of "Blue Suede Shoes" with Berle destroying his guitar and dancing Elvis-style like a lunatic. Francis (Arnold Stang), now a sailor, is the winner of the date with Ester Williams contest. James leads his band in "You Made Me Love You" joined by Buddy Rich for "Two O'Clock Jump." As James, Rich, and the orchestra play "Tiger Rag," Berle attempts to join them on trumpet, with little success. Berle performs a musical number with Williams as a wave who gets doused with water.
Tue, May 15, 1956
In color from California, Berle's scheduled guests include actor Mickey Rooney singer Peggy King, with Ruth Gilbert and Arnold Stang. Miltie talks to a psychiatrist because the show is putting him under excessive pressure. The doctor suggests hiring an understudy to lighten the load; enter Mickey Rooney.
Top-rated
Tue, Jun 5, 1956
In the series' color finale from Hollywood, Milton's guests are actresses Debra Paget and Irish McCalla, child actor Barry Gordon, and Elvis Presley and the Jordanaires. Elvis sings "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You" and "Hound Dog" (which he slows down into a bump-and-grind). Irish McCalla joins Berle and Presley in banter about how sexy the singer is. In a record store, Milton gets in the way when screaming women mob Presley and has his suit ripped to shreds.